Effect of alder and poplar plantation on soil quality and carbon sequestration (A case study: Safrabasteh Poplar Experimental Station)

Since plantation has a major impact on carbon sequestration and soil quality، two sites with alder and poplar covers at three-replications in Safrabasteh Research Poplar Station at Guilan province of Iran were selected in order to investigate these effects. At each site، morphological، physical and chemical soil properties were studied upon standard laboratory methods. The results showed that bulk density، dispersible clay، wet aggregate stability measured as mean weight diameter، carbohydrates and amount of phosphor were significantly different among sites (p<0. 01). While in the second depth (7-15cm) of both cover aggregates with 2-4 cm and 6-8 cm size have the maximum amount of carbon respectively، in third depth (15-45cm) there was no differences among alder cover but maximum amount in 6-8 cm aggregates in poplar cover. The amount of sequestered carbon in organic layer in poplar and alder covers were 1277. 23 and 1477. 70 ton/ha respectively which had significant different (p<0. 01). Microbial respiration in both cover had significant different in 0-15 cm depth (p<0. 05) too. The findings of this research indicate that plantation has major impact on carbon sequestration and thereby controls quality indicators of soils. Alder plantation is more effective in accumulation of organic carbon in soil compared with a poplar plantation.